I camped at Pang Oung Reservoir which is in Northwest Thailand, about as close to the border of Myanmar as you can get. It was in Tham-Pla Namtok Pha Suea National Park and I did some exploring there.

Stopped at a viewpoint along the way

Break time before the next climb

Arrived just in time for sunset

This swan came out and swam across the lake each morning and evening

My happy place

Early morning mist

Decha was the only other person camping there and we befriended each other the night before and then got up to watch the sunrise

He loved taking photos, like any Thai person

My iPhone in action ahha

I was mesmerized by the black swans

They were so graceful and poised yet threatening and strong

They retreated as the much larger white swan approached

One guide told us that the white swan has an egg in her nest so that’s why she was so aggressive

Tired faces at 6am

Sunrise in the mountains

The only other person I saw while camping, my friend Decha.

After the rainy season the water level would be all the way up to this dock

I needed a nap after waking up so early!

Nature reclaiming it’s place

Exploring the reservoir

I ordered the one dish which apparently came with rice AND soup and then she brought me watermelon and dried fruit for free! It was delicious and I barely ate half of it…

This was a small tea village called Ban Rak Thai where they grow tea and you can do tastings. There’s more Chinese influence here than Thai.

Pha Suea waterfall

If it wasn’t the dry season that I would probably not have been able to go climbing all over the rocks 🙂

I think the strangler trees here in Thailand are beautiful and ruthless since they kill the host tree. It was cool to see what a sapling looks like as it begins it doom filled climb.

This is the view of one of the mountain villages I drove through. If you look closely you can see the road curve up the hillside into the jungle.

I stopped at this bamboo grove and it was majestic

Here’s my hand for scale on how huge these bamboo stalks were

One of the tiny villages I drove through on the mountain. This is from the small shop that sold gas and saved me when I was on my way here.

Farms high up in the mountains

A teenage strangler tree

Last sunset before I leave in the morning

The patch of pine needles they couldn’t rake because I put my tent on them for comfort! haha